Aftermath
by Antihero1010
Summary: "The world burned... and we let it." Those were the last recorded words of Professor Elm. After the Pokémon turn against their trainers, the world's economy, agriculture and civilisation collapse. In the wake of this apocalypse, a new generation of trainers must rebuild a world that they never knew.
1. Chapter 1

**{Author's Note: Hey, guys. This'll be my first ever fan-fic, so bear with me as I get my footing here. This first chapter is mostly just introducing the world and our heroine, Wren, so it's a bit slow. Otherwise, let me know what you think. ^-^}**

 _"We built our entire civilisation around Pokémon; our economy, our agriculture... problem was, nobody stopped to think what might happen when all of that came grinding to a halt. At least, not until it was too late. It happened slowly, over a period of weeks; a flock of pidoves swarming over a picnic unprovoked, here; a growlithe taking its duty too far, there, tearing the throat out of a small time jewel thief, ignoring the calls of the officer it had been partnered with. Different sides of the world, isolated events, too far apart to be connected, or so we thought at the time. It wasn't until the_ JohtoLeague _that people started seeing the truth; and that the world began to fall apart. Live television, millions of viewers across every region, and a Feraligator flies off the handle, decides that it's owner would make a tasty mid-battle snack. No amount of PR bullshit can smooth something like that over._

 _It turns out we'd been overlooking the signs for much longer than a few weeks. There was a chemical imbalance in the upper atmosphere, driving Pokémon back to a more primal, instinctive nature; aggravating the territorial, aggressive centres of their minds. The wild Pokémon were affected quicker, but nobody took much notice. They were always territorial, and most of the attacks happened out in the more remote areas, so it took days for the news to be reported, if at all. Those Pokémon with trainers; kept in their balls or in storage; lasted longer, protected by the system itself, but even they couldn't last indefinitely, and before long even they turned on their trainers._

 _The world burned... And we let it."_

 _-_ _ **Note found in the files of Professor Elm, New Bark Town, edges charred**_

 _New Bark Town. 327 years AP (After the Purge)_

Wren had been awake since long before dawn, but that wasn't anything new. She'd never been able to sleep well, or at least, not at any point she could remember; her sleep plagued by nightmares of the attack that had taken both of her parents' lives; visions of fangs, of black fur stained red with the blood of her mother and father as they tried to shield her infant form from the pack of Poochyena that had attacked them as they had made their way from Cherrygrove towards New Bark Town. With no Pokémon of their own to fend the pack off, it had been a massacre. Luckily for Wren, they had been close enough to town that the commotion had been heard by some of the townsfolk, and their combined efforts had driven there pack away. It had been too late for her parents, but Wren had been saved. The event was burned into her memory, despite having happened some 17 years prior. So she sat at the window, watching the world outside the fences drift by. As the first blush of light lit the horizon, she watched the Hoot-Hoot and Dustox take their perches in the trees, silhouetted against the golden glow of the sunrise. The last howls of the Poochyena, layered in with the deeper, more gutteral howl of the local pack's alpha, a grizzled old Mightyena, called the pack back to their den for the end of the day, sending a shiver of fear down Wren's spine.

"Hey, squirt. Can't sleep?" Startled, she momentarily overbalancing in her chair, before steadying herself on the table in front of her. Blushing slightly, embarrassed, she glanced up at her father, Jared. Not her real father, of course, given her parents' fate, but she was reminded of the fact every time she looked in the mirror. Jared stood at nearly 7 feet tall, broad and muscular, with a deep tan, thick, bushy black hair, and dark brown eyes, almost black. By contrast, even at 18 years old, Wren stood nearly a full 2 feet shorter than him, at only 5'3". Her skin was many shades paler, almost pure white, and her hair was a deep, rich red, somewhere between auburn and mahogany. And as her bright green eyes settled on the form of her foster father, she was struck once more by how different she was. She forced a smile, blinking back tears that she hasn't realised she'd been crying, shaking her head slightly;

"You know me. I'm part Noctowl, remember?" Jared, either not noticing the tears or choosing to ignore them, chuckled, reaching over and ruffling her hair, bringing a slight scowl to her lips, before the expression softened, and a more confused one took its place. Her father was notoriously lazy, and it was rare to see him out of bed before noon. "Uhm... What are you doing up this early? Is something wrong?" He paused, his usually cheerful expression frozen in place, an expression of... almost regret... crossing his face.

"No, no... Nothing like that. Just had some news, that's all." Wren blinked, confused. Nothing ever happened in New Bark, and if anything ever did, it got around quickly. It was a small town, after all. She opened her mouth to ask, but before she could, he continued; "You know Professor Bonsai, right? She lives down on the edge of town?" Wren nodded. Professor Bonsai was a mystery to those living in New Bark. She'd arrived a decade ago, taking up residence in the old Professor Elm laboratory. Most people in town thought she was a crackpot, always spouting nonsense about returning the world to the way things used to be. Nobody took much notice of her, though she kept to herself more often than not, so everybody left her alone. "She's asked if you could go over to the lab this morning to lend her a hand with something. Wouldn't say what, but it seemed important. Whaddya say?" Wren nodded, still confused, but willing to see what it was about, at least. There was something about the Professor that had always piqued her interest, but she'd never had any reason to visit. "Alright, kiddo, grab something to eat and head off. I figured you'd be up early, so I told her you'd be over after breakfast."

 _After Breakfast_

 ***Crash!*** "Come back here, you piece of-" ***Shatter!*** "Fuck! Don't touch th-" The words from within the lab were cut off by a muffled crash and the sound of glass breaking. Wren stood just outside the door, hand raised to knock, frozen in a mixture of bemusement and confusion, not sure what exactly she'd stumbled into. Before she could complete the motion, however, the door burst open from within and a small, red furred streak tumbled through it, crashing into Wren and taking her off her feet. She swore softly under her breath, struggling to her hands and knees, trying to see what had hit her. A small, red furred creature sat in front of her, gazing at her intently, all six tails whipping about curiously, its head cocked to one side. It yawned widely, before lowering its head, sniffing at the air slightly and letting out a soft yelp of "Pix!" Wren froze, eyes wide. A Vulpix? Here?! She winced, muttering under her breath;

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck!"_ She squeezed her eyes shut, silently praying that the thing would lose interest, that it would leave her alone, head back out into the wild. Then, another thought passed through her mind. There must be a breach in the fence! She had to warn some-one. They had to fix the fence before-

"There you are, you little bitch. Thought you could get away from me, did you?" The voice had come from in front of her. She froze. Someone else was here? She stood, eyes still squeezed shut.

"Run! You have to get away! Warn the others! There's a breach in the fence, and-" She trailed off, not hearing the sound she would expect. There was no screaming, no running. Just... Laughter? She opened her eyes, dreading what she might find, but as she opened her eyes, she could see that the owner of the voice stood at ease, leaning against the doorframe, the Pokémon at her feet, not having moved. The speaker; a woman of maybe 40 years old, clad in a long, flowing lab-coat, grinned down at her.

"Hey. You must be Wren, right? Your father said you'd be over. I'm Professor Juniper. Nice to meetcha."

 _To be Continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey. You must be Wren, right? Your father said you'd be over. I'm Professor Juniper. Nice to meetcha." Wren blinked in confusion. The woman should be running and screaming. Did she not understand that there was a feral Pokémon right there in front of her? She hissed under her breath, having forgotten about the Vulpix in all the confusion. But glancing down at it, she saw that the fox Pokémon hadn't made any moves. At least, none that were aggressive. To the contrary, it gazed up at her still, almost seeming concerned for her. It leaned forward- sending a shiver of fear down her spine once more- and sniffled curiously at her face, which was still down at its level, seeing as she had yet to stand up. It opened its mouth wide and she tensed, seeing its teeth and bracing herself for an attack. "Pi!" The little Vulpix let out an enormous sneeze; a blast of hot air hitting Wren in the face. Wren muffled a smile, then a giggle, then a laugh; watching as the Pokémon snorted, shaking its head to clear its nose of the dust that had irritated it so. She'd never seen a Pokémon up close, at least not after the attack. But once the initial thrill of fear had passed, it really was cute. She held out a hand nervously towards the Vulpix, who sniffed her hand once more, before letting out a playful yip and rolling over onto its back to be petted. Wren laughed once more, reaching down and rubbing its, or rather _his_ stomach, bringing a trill of pleasure from his mouth. Wren was captivated. She'd been told stories of the way things used to be, and the way things could never be again; back in the old days when boys and girls were given their very own Pokémon to train. Of course, she'd known that she would never get to have her own Pokemon, or even see one up close like this. Or so she'd thought. But even all of the stories that she'd been told, all of the daydreams she'd concocted, didn't come close to the real thing. The Vulpix was warm to the touch, almost unnaturally so, but not too hot as to burn. Its fur was soft, like she imagined a cloud would feel like. And it rolled and yowled as she stroked his stomach, batting and nipping playfully at her fingers, but yipping at her as if to scold her if she pulled her fingers away. There was no malice here. No aggression. Just... playful affection. But that meant... Her eyes shot to the Professor, who was watching her intently, a smile on her face. Wren's mind was filled with too many questions, overloading her ability to think. Her mouth moved, but no words would form, nor did they need to. Professor Bonsai simply nodded. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and I'll answer them as best I can. But for now, why don't you come inside? There's no point scaring the rest of the town with the thought of a feral Pokémon inside the fence, hmm?" Wren nodded, standing and following the Professor into the old lab with the Vulpix nipping at her heels.

Following the Professor inside, Wren took her first good look at Bonsai. The woman was a recluse for the most part, and Wren had never actually met her in person. She'd heard stories of other kids in the Town who had run errands for her; dropping groceries outside her door or something similar, but no-one had ever really seen her. Up close, the woman seemed... older than her age. Physically she appeared in her mid 30s, with slightly greying black hair, a pair of thin, wire framed glasses perched on her nose, covering brown eyes that still gleamed with intellect. She was slightly taller than Wren at 5'6", her frame staunch, far from slrnder, though not overly plump. She carried herself at ease, gracefully gliding into the lab, taking a seat easily on the edge of a bench and patting through her pockets, searching for something. Finally, she pulled a pack of cigarettes from the chest pocket of her lab coat, popping one into her mouth, though leaving it unlit for the time being. The lab itself was a mess. Paperwork and different diagrams were scattered over the floor and benches. A number of glass vials were sitting at one end of the bench, filled with an odd looking red liquid. One of the vials appeared to have been knocked onto the floor by the rampaging Vulpix, who looked decidedly sheepish as it followed Wren into the lab. An odd looking machine sat in one corner, humming loudly. The professor motioned for Wren to sit, pushing a chair out from the bench. Wren sat, and the Vulpix leaped up, turning in circles for a moment before curling up in her lap.

Professor Bonsai took a deep breath, seeming to steady herself, before speaking. "I'll explain as much as I can, and you can ask questions if I skip over anything important." She spoke around the cigarette for the most part; occasionally taking the smoke from her mouth and tapping it against the table, almost uncomfortably. "Back when things first started falling apart, we didn't know what was causing it. We still don't. But what we do know is that whatever it was, or is, is atmospheric. We know this because any Pokemon kept in their balls or in storage took longer to become infected. Professor Elm, my predecessor, was working on something when he died. A machine that would purify Pokémon who were hooked into it, using the existing system, given that it already had something of a shielding effect." She sighed, tapping the butt of the cigarette against her knee momentarily before lighting it, taking a long drag on it. In Wren's lap, the Vulpix snorted, apparently insulted by the bastardized use of the flame. Bonsai scowled at the Vulpix. "Oh, shut up, you. Anyway." She returned her attention to Wren. "I've managed to rebuild a portion of the system with some help from the other Professors in the other regions. And using some of Elm's notes, I've managed to create a few prototype systems. I've already given one system to another child elsewhere in Johto, along with a Pokémon of their own. I'd like you to have the other." Wren had bristled slightly at being called a child, but her anger dissipated quickly as Bonsai's words sunk in.

"You... you want to give me a Pokémon? _Why?_ Why me? What for?" Bonsai chuckled, blowing out a puff of smoke.

"First kid in three centuries to get a Pokémon and she asks why." She squeezed her eyes shut, an almost pained expression on her face. "You remind me of them, you know. Your parents." Wren froze.

"My... you knew my parents?" Bonsai didn't answer, seeming lost in though. Wren stood, the Vulpix in her lap leaping away with a disgruntled yelp. " **Answer me! I asked if you-** "

"I heard you." Bonsai's voice was quiet, yet her words cut off Wren's cry. "I knew them, yes. They were working with me on cleansing the Pokémon. I promised them... that if I ever got it working, I'd give the first one to their daughter. You." She exhaled a puff of smoke once more. "As for why, I suppose it's a good question. There are no gyms, no contests, so why give anyone a Pokémon?" She smiled slightly, almost sadly. "At least, we don't have those things yet. Ideally, we- the other Professors and I- would like to rebuild. I've given the others the same thing I'll give you. A disk, containing a program that runs the purifying process. If we can get the program into each of cities in each of the regions, I think we can rebuild. Or at least start rebuilding." Wren listened intently, nodding every now and then, before motioning to the Vulpix, who was busy tearing apart a page of Bonsai's notes.

"So it... he... he's cured?" Bonsai sighed softly.

"Not entirely. The program purifies Pokémon, but only for a period of a few hours. After that they have to be re-purified. I'm afraid there's no way to purify them fully. At least not yet. But we're working on it." Wren hesitated.

"And... you said there were others? Others who have Pokémon. Like me?" Bonsai nodded, leaning back and exhaling a torrent of smoke towards the roof.

"Two in each region. Kanto, Johto, Boenn, Sinnoh and Kalos." She'd left out Unova. The Unova region was little more than a crater. Following the plague, the legendary Pokémon Groudon had rampaged through the area. There were still small pockets of humanity there, though they were few and far between. "You'll meet them eventually, I imagine. Anyway, onto important business. This," she pulled a small machine from a drawer in the desk. Wren recognized it as a Pokèdex. "Is a standard Pokèdex. I've updated it to include all regions' Pokèdex databases. It also runs the program to purify your Pokémon. If you store your pokeballs in your pack, within a foot of your 'dex, it will project a field that will purify them. The longer you keep your Pokémon out of their balls, or away from your 'dex, the more the plague will return, and the more feral they'll become. As for your first Pokémon, I'd normally give you a choice of three, but unfortunately we don't have that luxury. Besides, you two seem to be getting along quite well already." She nodded down at the Vulpix, who had returned to Wren's side, curling up at her feet. Wren looked down at the Vulpix, a wide smile creeping across her face.

"I love him. Thank you." She leaned down, scooping up the Vulpix and hugging him to her chest. "I'll call you Jaime." The Vulpix- Jaime- yipped happily, leaning up and licking Wren happily on the cheek. Bonsai simply smiled. Jaime had been Wren's father's name. It was a good choice. The Professor opened her mouth to speak once more, but before she could, another sound cut in. The loud, piercing bell that warned of a feral Pokémon attack.

There was a breach in the fence.

 _To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

_There was a breach in the fence_. The thought hit Wren with a sickening thud and a sense of dread pooling in the pit of her stomach. She had to run. To hide. To lock the doors. To- "Vul!" Wren blinked, her train of thought derailing. She'd all but forgotten. She had her own Pokémon now. For the first time in centuries there were Pokémon trainers. People who could stand and fight; push back the ferals. The little Vulpix at her side gave a slight growl, eyes locked on the door ahead, the fur on the back of its neck raised. Wren grinned, reaching down and giving Jaime's head a slight rub. "Alright, then." Jaime looked up at her, giving a soft, yowling bark of 'Pix!' Wren stood, making her way over towards the door with Jaime trailing behind. Before she got there, however, Professor Bonsai called out;

"Wren! One more thing. The Pokémon Centres aren't running anymore. Remember that. If Jaime gets hurt too badly, he won't be getting back up." Wren froze. The thought hadn't occurred to her. It used to be that when a Pokémon was injured, the Pokémon Centres in each town would heal them back to full strength. But... could she really step out that door knowing that if Jaime was injured, there was nothing she could do about it? She looked down at where Jaime sat, still staring up at her intently. As if sensing her hesitation, he gave a bark, bounding once around her legs, before sitting back at the doorway, giving a determined growl once more as if to say 'Let's go!' Wren smiled slightly, almost sadly, nodding.

"We'll be careful. Alright, Jaime, let's go!" The pair turned and sprinted out the door...

And into hell.

New Bark Town was under a full scale assault. Instead of a breach in the walls, as she'd originally thought, a horde of black and yellow Pokemon buzzed and flitted about overhead. Beedrill. Wren hissed under her breath. Jaime had the advantage of type, but they were severely outnumbered. There were too many of them, moving too quickly, for her to count. She estimated there were at least a dozen of them. "Fuck me..." she cursed softly under her breath. This didn't make sense. The Beedrill in the forest nearby were usually peaceful, and certainly never ventured this close to town. _Any_ town, for that matter. Bug Pokémon were, as a general rule, quite placid with the rare exception of an overly territorial Scyther. Which meant... Her eyes snapped up to the sky, past the agitated Beedril, scanning the sky above; searching. Jaime gave a strangled yelp of warning at the same time as Wren caught sight of the thing she had been searching for. A flash of brown feathers shot from the sky like lightning, almost too quick for Wren to react. She could only manage to throw her arms up before the thing hit her, catching sight of a set of vicious looking talons and a gaping beak as the thing let out an ear piercing screech before her world erupted in a flash of red and blinding agony.

She screamed as the talons tore into her forearm; feeling the claws jar into the small bones in her wrist; her hand momentarily paralyzed as the full weight of the bird collided with her. A split second later she screamed once more as the talons tore free; a small red blur colliding with the bird on her arm and knocking it away as she fell backwards, landing with a thud on the ground. _Jaime_. The Pokémon- _her Pokémon_ \- stood before her. His hackles raised, the Vulpix growled menacingly at the thing that had dared attack his trainer. Wren watched in morbid curiosity as the bird- a Pidgeotto, she recognized- stood and squawked furiously at Jaime, who responded with his own series of barks and yips. The two seemed to be... arguing. Every few squawks, the Pidgeotto would turn its attention to Wren, only to have Jaime growl a warning whenever it edged closer. Wren sat back, realization setting in. It didn't understand. It had been centuries since any Pokémon trainer had existed. The Pidgeotto was demanding to know why Jaime was protecting her. A swell of pride rose in her chest. Jaime had protected her. They'd barely met and- the thought trailed off as another crossed her mind. The Professor had said that Jaime would start degenerating if he stayed out of his ball too long. And she had no idea how long he'd been out prior to her meeting him. Her mind raced, glancing above at the still-swarming Beedrill, and above yet more, to the brown shapes diving and pecking at the bug Pokémon. They were smaller than the one that had attacked her, probably only Pidgeys. The Pidgeotto was likely their leader; the one driving the Pidgeys to attack the Beedrill hive, and in turn drive the Beedrill to New Bark Town.

Wren pushed herself to her feet, wincing in pain as she felt the bones in her left wrist click from where the Pidgeotto had struck her, but forcing the pain to the back of her mind. "Jaime, focus on the Pidgeotto. It's causing the Pidgeys to stir up the Beedrill. That's why they're attacking the town! If we can take it down, they'll retreat." _I hope..._ she added silently. If she was wrong... well, if she was wrong, it wouldn't make much of a difference. She had to make this quick, both for the town's sake and for Jaime's. Jaime gave a cry of 'Vul!', seemingly agreeing with Wren's assessment, and set his paws spart, bracing himself. Wren pulled the Pokèdex from the pocket that she had stuffed it into upon hearing the bell, scrolling through it swiftly until she found what she was looking for; a list of Jaime's abilities. "Jaime, use Ember!" The Vulpix shot forward at her command, dashing up close to the bird and unleashing a spray of burning coals from his mouth. At point blank, the Pidgeotto caught the majority of the attack's spray, sqawking angrily and flapping off the ground, shaking the last few burning embers from its wings. The bird turned and flapped up into the sky, directly towards the sun. Wren saw Jaime struggle to pick the Pidgeotto out of the already crowded sky, and she hissed under her breath, seeing what the bird had planned. "Jaime, when I say, I want you to use another ember. Aim in the direction I say, and then dive to the side, understand?" 'Vulpix.' Jaime gave a determined nod, and Wren couldn't help but give a slight smile. He was doing well for his first battle. Her thoughts were interrupted by a blur of movement, out of the sky, and Wren swore. "Fuck! Jaime, move left!" The Vulpix dove immediately, trusting his trainer's commands and reacting on instinct as the Pidgeotto swooped through the spot that he had been standing not a second before. The bird's talons lashed out, clipping Jaime even as he moved; tearing a small cut in his ear. Wren's heart froze as the brave little Vulpix let out a yelp of pain, landing heavily on his front paws before struggling to his feet once more. She growled, angry now. "Alright, Jaime, let's roast this fucker." Jaime growled in agreement, eyes scanning the sky for his foe once more.

The attack came from behind him; the Pidgeotto swooping down with talons outstretched once more. But this time Wren was ready for it. "Jaime, now! Behind you!" Jaime was moving before Wren had finished the sentence; twisting about to face the oncoming bird Pokémon and unleashing a torrent of embers into its path. Moving at full speed, the Pidgeotto couldn't stop, couldn't turn. All it could do was give a strangled squawk as it took the full brunt of the attack to its face and chest; crashing to the ground and skidding to a halt resting against the outside wall of the Professor's lab. It struggled, attempting to right itself, but ultimately failed and fell motionless on the ground. Jaime watched this for a moment before lifting his head to gaze at the pokemon overhead. He growled, opened his mouth, and let out the loudest sound Wren had ever heard. It didn't seem possible that such a small creature could make such an enormous noise, but Jaime managed; roaring at the Pokémon above him as if defying them to come and face him. The Pidgeys, seeing their leader felled, soon lost their appetite, squawking in alarm and retreating back to the forest. The Beedrill, no longer being harassed, soon followed.

Hearing the noise, and seeing that the swarm of Beedrill had dissipated, the people of New Bark Town began to open their doors once more; stepping outside to mill in the center of town, trying to work out what had happened. Wren, however, was no longer anywhere to be found, as she had swiftly disappeared back into the Professor's lab cradling the form of an exhausted Vulpix close to her chest...

 _To be continued..._

 ** _{Author's Note: Hey, guys, me again. Hopefully you're enjoying the story so far. Hopefully I haven't screwed up the battle sequence too badly, as I know that sometimes things can translate poorly from my imagination to the screen. Anywho, let me know how I'm going so far, either by Review or shoot me a PM I'd love to hear what you think. Happy reading~}_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**"Absolutely**_ _ **fucking**_ _ **not!"**_ Wren winced slightly, glancing up at the shout from the other room. She'd never heard Jared so angry. She sat in her room with the pokeball containing Jaime sitting in her lap, letting the Vulpix have a well-deserved rest. In the dining room that sat directly below, her foster father and Professor Bonsai were discussing her future. Bonsai had explained the same things that she had told Wren, all the while sitting at ease at the table, her still-lit cigarette perched between her lips. Jared, on the other hand was much more animated, or so it seemed. Wren could hear his heavy footsteps moving from one end of the dining room to the other. Likewise, the pairs voices were a contrast in volume. Jared's voice was that of his usual booming self, though hard edged with anger. For her part, however, Wren had to strain to make out Professor Bonsai's words; the same cold, low tone that she had used to cut off Wren's outburst just hours prior. _**"You're not sending my daughter out there defenseless."**_

"I'd wager she's far from defenseless, judging by how she handled herself this morning." Wren could imagine the smug smile on the Professor's face. "But this isn't really about how well she can handle herself, is it, Jared?" Wren, already having to strain to make out Bonsai's words, jumped slightly as there was a crash, and a shattering of glass. Her foster-father's voice dropped in volume, anger seething through his voice.

 _"Get. Out."_ The words sent a shiver of terror down Wren's spine, but Bonsai seemed unphased.

"That's what all of this is really about, isn't it, Jared? You're not ready to let her go but all of a sudden her past is catching up to her. And you're just realizing that now." Jared didn't answer. He didn't need to. Wren could feel the anger emanating from him even from upstairs. Bonsai waited for a moment to let her previous words sink in, and in the silence Wren stood and began to make her way downstairs, stopping only to pull her pack over her shoulder; already packed. She made it onto the top step as the Professor's next words hit. "You can't keep her here forever." The man's shoulders were slumped as Wren stepped onto the ground floor behind him. His voice had lost all of its previous fire. He was losing this fight, and he knew it.

"I just... she's my daughter... I just want to keep her safe." Wren felt a lump grow in her throat as she heard the words. She blinked back tears, wiping away the evidence of her emotions before speaking.

"No. I'm not." Both turned to face her; the Professor and Jared. Behind them both, the shattered remains of a coffee mug lay against the wall; a brown stain seeping down the wall mere inches from Bonsai's head. The source of the crash she had heard before. Jared opened his mouth to speak but Wren cut him off with a curt shake of her head, stepping in close to the massive man she had called father for all those years; wrapping her arms around him in a bittersweet embrace. As his arms wrapped around her, she sighed, whispering; "I'll always think of you as my father, but... you're not. And... I need to see more of the world than just what's inside the gates. You had to have known I wouldn't settle for anything less after you raised me on all those stories of the old days." Jared's arms wrapped a little tighter around his adopted daughter, and he nodded, making a strangled sound from the back of his throat that she recognized as the sound he made when trying not to cry. She smiled sadly, pulling back despite his best efforts to prolong the embrace. "I'll be fine. Jaime will take care of me." He chuckled sadly, forcing a smile;

"That's what I'm afraid of." Jared leaned down to give Wren an affectionate kiss on the forehead, his massive frame almost doubling over to reach the top of Wren's diminutive form. "Will you at least let me give you some money for the road?" Wren nodded, feeling tears welling in her eyes once more, afraid that she'd break down if she tried to speak. And as her father left the room to find his wallet, Wren turned and ran; not able to bear the thought of having to say goodbye.

 **...**

Wren sobbed softly to herself with her face buried in her pack. She'd barely made it half-way to Cherrygrove and already she was feeling sick to her stomach. She shouldn't have run like that. Maybe she could go back. Maybe it wasn't too late. She grimaced, shaking her head and tossing her bag aside in frustration. No. She couldn't go back now. If she turned back now, she'd never leave again. It would hurt more to- She froze. A rustling noise had sounded from nearby. It sounded close, within a few feet. She reached for her bag and cursed, realizing that she had flung it to the ground, away from where she sat. Wiping tears from her eyes, she stood, forcing herself to be brave. "W-who's there? Or... what...?"

'Vulpix, Vul!' Wren jumped at the sound, turning as she heard the rustling sound once more, overlapping with Jaime's strangled cry. She bit her lip to muffle a laugh at what she saw. Throwing the bag aside must have activated the release on Jaime's pokeball, still sitting within the bag. The Vulpix was struggling to free himself from the confines of her pack; his tails and rear legs sticking out of the top of the bag while his head and front legs were still tangled up inside. She giggled, reaching down and pulling Jaime free; the Pokémon giving a started yelp as she pulled him out. "Sorry, Jaime. I guess I'm just not cut out for this whole trainer business." Jaime cocked his head to one side as he listened to her words, before giving a strained whine, leaping up into her lap with his front paws on her stomach; licking at her cheek in an effort to comfort her. She laughed, pushing the Vulpix away, wiping his slobber off onto her sleeve. "Okay, okay! I get it, now stop!" She smiled, giving Jaime's head a soft pat. "Thanks..." Jaime barked, before leaping off of her lap and going to investigate their new surroundings while Wren moved to pick up her belongings from where they had fallen; a few items of clothing, some food, and a handful of pokeballs that the Professor had given to her before going to speak to Jared. She smiled wistfully, lost in thought as she gazed down at the pokeballs. She supposed she should look to start catching some new Pokémon. The more she had with her, the safer she'd be.

 _ **"H-Help~!"**_ Both Jaime's and Wren's heads whipped up, hearing the cry from further down the road. Without thinking, and any thoughts of home dismissed from her mind for the time being, Wren slung her pack over her shoulder and sprinted down the road towards Cherrygrove.

 **...**

Wren burst from the undergrowth and froze as she took in the scene before her. It was like out of a nightmare. _Her nightmare. Snapping jaws and bloodsoaked teeth. Black fur and hungry eyes._ She grit her teeth, shaking her head, forcing the thoughts from her mind and focusing on the task at hand. A boy, probably only 13 or 14, was pinned down against the outer fence of Cherrygrove. A half dozen or so small black shapes darted around him, snapping and growling. The boy's form was already covered in numerous gashes and bites from the snapping jaws of the Poochyena. On the gate above, a pair of Cherrygrove guards hurled rocks at the pack, but the Pokémon were too fast for such meager defenses, and their eyes too set on easy prey to be deterred so easily. The boy screamed again as one shape, larger than the others, dashed forward, jaws snapping. Wren swore. The Mightyena. The pack's alpha. The same pack that had killed her parents; left her an orphan. She took a step backwards even as Jaime stepped forward, and another, larger shape stepped out of the bushes beside her.

It was another Mightyena; a female this time. It limped as it walked, and Wren could see that its front left leg was twisted, most likely from a fight with another pack member. Her left ear was nearly chewed off, and a number of other scars and wounds- some fresh, some old- showed over her form. Despite the Mightyena's condition, Wren guessed that it was still young, barely evolved. Likely it had tried to make a play for leadership in the pack upon evolution and failed; hence its condition. The newcomer let out a low growl of warning, and the effect on the pack was instantaneous. The Poochyena stopped, moving back to the edge of the treeline, and the Alpha paused, locking eyes with the newcomer, letting out a growl of warning of its own before charging. The female moved at the same time; and the pair locked together in combat. The two Mightyena trading bites, snarling as they circled each other. The female drew blood as she dug her fangs into the Alpha's side, tearing a gash half the length of the Pokémon. The male Alphs responded by locking his jaws around the challenger's left, and already damaged, foreleg. A sickening cruch of breaking bone echoed through the area as the Alpha clenched its jaws; the female's leg shattering under the force of the bite. The Alpha drew back to bite once more; his fangs and mouth coated in the blood of both the boy and the female. A gream of white fell from his mouth as he opened it once more to attack, a shard of bone snapped from the challenger's leg even as she struggled to stand to face the Alpha once more. But it was too late. She couldn't get away in time. The female Mightyena gave a whine of fear as the Alpha lunged for her throat, and his jaws closed...

... around nothing. "Jaime, Ember!" The Alpha whipped its head around at the voice, only to meet a spray of burning coal flung into his face as the Vulpix attacked. Momentarily blinded, the Mightyena pawed at its face to clear the burning embers from his face; giving Wren the opening she needed. The girl ran, faster than she had ever run before. She leaped past the still recovering Mightyena and into the City with Jaime close behind as the guards opened the gates a sliver, pausing only to scoop up the injured boy and the pokeball that lay on the ground nearby. A pokeball that now contained an injured female Mightyena...

 _To be continued..._


	5. Chapter 5

Wren sat in the ruined Cherrygrove Pokemon Center, absent-mindedly stroking the mane of the female Mightyena, who was licking at her foreleg, which Wren had wrapped in a bandage. She'd fashioned a splint out of the shattered remnants of the Pokècenter's equipment; taking the legs off a table and wrapped in bandages. She'd rummaged through the storage room behind the counter in search of medical supplies, but most of the supplies had been stolen in the years after the plague. Even so, Wren had found a handful of potions that had been preserved, hidden from sight beneath a falled stack of shelves. Unfortunately even those potions could do nothing to heal the damage to the Pokémon's leg, though they had healed the numerous cuts and grazes that covered the female's form. It had been a few hours since she'd made it into the City. The guards had placed her and her Pokémon under quarantine; wanting to make sure that Jaime and the Mightyena- as yet unnamed- were free of the virus. Wren had managed to convince them to give her access to the old Center at least, thank Arceus, and she'd spent the time caring for the Mightyena's wounds, at least after the purification program had run its course. That had been a learning process. She'd released the Pokémon upon gaining access to the Pokècenter, only to have it turn on her and Jaime; snapping and snarling; wheeling on its three good legs defensively. It had only been quick thinking on Wren's part that had resulted in the Pokémon being returned to its ball before any real damage could be done. She'd left it an hour before trying again. This time, the Pokémon had been more docile. The program had been given time to work, and the Mightyena had simply collapsed at her feet, whining softly, gazing up at Wren with pain in its eyes. Wren had used the potions to ease the Pokémon's pain while splinting the leg, and now sat between her two Pokemon, considering the Mightyena. "Ebony." Jaime lifted his head and cocked it to one side curiously, while the Mightyena gave a soft wuff of 'Yena?' Wren smiled, scratching the Pokemon, Ebony, between the ears. "What do you think, girl? I'll call you Ebony." Ebony gave another soft wuff, lifting herself up and licking Wren gently on the cheek. The trainer smiled, giving both of her Pokemon a ruffle between the ears, earning her another lick from both Jaime and Ebony. All three of their heads whipped up as the door to the Pokècenter creaked open; its hinges rusted with age. A pair of figures slipped through the door; a boy and a girl. Wren recognized the boy as the one from earlier; the boy she had rescued outside the gates. Upon taking a closer look, Wren could see that he was slightly older than she had previously thought; maybe 15 years old. His hair was a light auburn color; almost pink in colour. His eyes, a pale shade of green; darted about the room nervously, before settling on Jaime and Ebony. The other figure was a girl of around 17, or maybe a tad older; the same age as Wren herself. The pair appeared to be siblings, as Wren could see that they had the same eyes and hair, though the girl's fell to shoulder length, while the boy's hair was cut close to his scalp.

"C-can I... Can I pet them...?" The boy approached the two Pokémon hesitantly with one hand outstretched. Jaime leaned up to sniff at the hand, but Ebony gave a low growl, backing away; leaning heavily on her good paw. The boy shrank back, unsure of himself. Wren sighed softly, walking over to the Mightyena and kneeling in front of her;

"Hey. Be good, hmm? Nobody here is going to hurt you." Ebony gave a soft whine, looking over toward Jaime, who had rolled over onto his back; inviting the boy to rub his stomach. The boy was obliging, a look of awe on his face, and eventually Ebony gave a huff of defeat; flopping down at the feet of the boy, earning herself a scratch between the ears. Wren smiled, standing and making her way over to the other girl. "You'll have to forgive her. Ebony's still not used to people." The girl gave a slight, sad smile; shaking her head;

"It's fine. My brother has always been fascinated with Pokémon. I only wish he'd been born into a time more... accommodating." She turned to face Wren. "Oh, uhm... forgive me. My name is Alexis. Alexis Joy. This is my brother, Carson." Wren raised an eyebrow at the name, and the girl gave an exasperated sigh. "Yes, _those_ Joys." Wren suppressed a smile at the reaction, however the pinj haired girl continued before she could make a comment. The pink-haired girl slipped up to perch on the edge of the counter, next to some of the old machinery. "I came to thank you for saving Carson's life, and... I wanted to ask you about them." The girl motioned towards Jaime and Ebony. Jaime was gnawing playfully on Carson's hand; his front paws latched around the boy's fore-arm. For Ebony's part, the Mightyena was simply laying still; still nursing her fore-leg, though accepting Carson's affection graciously. Wren smiled. The two Pokémon she'd collected thus far were about as similar as a Spearow was to a Geodude in terms of personality. She wondered whether the two would get along. But even so, she turned her attentiom back to Alexis.

"I, ah... I take it you wanted to ask how I can control them? Why the plague isn't affecting them?" Miranda nodded, and Wren sighed, slipping to a seated position against the base of the old counter next to Miranda. "I... it's a long story, despite only starting this morning. But... long story short, the answer is this." She pulled the disk containing the purification program from her pack, holding it up for the girl to see. "It's a program designed by Professor Bonsai and some of the other Professors. With constant doses of the program, Pokémon can resist the effects of the plague." She motioned over towards Jaime and Ebony as an example. "Professor Bonsai wants me to travel through Johto and upload the program into the old Pokémon Centers. She says that maybe... maybe we can start rebuilding." Alexis listened as Wren spoke; the pair watching as Carson doted on Jaime and Ebony. Finally, however, the girl piped up;

"That's a lot of pressure on you, h'uh?" Wren blinked, almost startled by the question, before laughing.

"Thad's an odd reaction. After all this time we have a chance to rebuild, and your first response is to worry about whether or not I can handle it?" Alexis' eyes widened, and she shook her head swiftly; a faint blush on her cheeks.

"O-oh, uhm... that's not what I meant at all. I just... I meant that it must be hard... knowing that you're supposed to do this all by yourself." Wren smirked, slightly confused by Alexis' reaction, though she brushed her confusion aside.

"It's not like I'm completely alone. I have Jaime. And Ebony, now." Alexis smiled slightly, almost sadly. "You're right. In all honesty I'm a little jealous. I've always wanted to travel but without my own Pokémon it's impossible." The pink haired girl pushed herself off the bench, landing on her feet. "But that's not the point. I suppose we should see if this program will load into the Pokemon Center's database. After all, if that doesn't work, this will have all been for nothing." She made her way around behind the counter and began to fiddle about with the instruments beneath. After a moment Wren heard a low hum as the lights in the Center began to flicker to life and the machinery began to turn on. Alexis' head popped up from beneath the counter, and she held out a hand expectantly for the disk. Wren handed it over before leaving Alexis to her work; walking back over to where Carson, Jaime and Ebony were sitting. Kneeling in front of the trio, she smiled. Jaime had apparently claimed Carson's lap; and had curled up into a small, red-furred ball. The only indication that it was even Jaime was the occasional flicker of his tails and a soft yowl of contentment. Ebony still lay rather still while accepting Carson's attention, though every few moments she let out a soft growl. Wren sighed, pulling out Ebony's pokèball and returning the Mightyena, much to Carson's disappointment. Wren shrugged apologetically.

"The process that cleanses them only lasts for a little While, and Ebony hasn't been in contact with the program for long. It's best if I return her now, rather than leave it until the last moment and risk her going feral again." Carson gasped slightly, nodding in understanding, before returning his attention to Jaime who, it appeared, had fallen asleep. Wren muffled a laugh before a voice from behind interrupted them.

"Aaand done." The computer system gave a tone of success, and Wren looked up to see Alexis grinning, perched back on the edge of the counter with a keyboard in her lap. "If this is right, the program should have uploaded fully, and it's running at full power." Wren smiled, walking over to where Alexis sat.

"So we're up and running in Cherrygrove?" Alexis nodded.

"It looks like it, but we won't be able to tell unless we test it out." Wren grimaced slightly, nodding;

"Ah, I see the problem." Alexis nodded, and Carson lifted his head from where he sat nearby; confused. "Since Ebony and Jaime are hooked up to my system, we can't test them with the Center program." She sighed. "Though I suppose I can kill two Spearow with one stone." The two Joys both turned to face her curiously, and Wren grinned. "I've been thinking. If I'm supposed to be travelling, I won't be able to help out around here like I did earlier. So we may as well catch a Pokémon or two to protect Cherrygrove. With the system up and running here, you'll be able to control them and use them to fight off any ferals that manage to break through the fence." She frowned, motioning towards the door, snd the guards stationed outside. "Assuming they ever let us out, that is..." As if on cue, the door to the Pokémon Center creaked open once more, and an older figure entered. The man looked like an older version of Carson, though dressed in a uniform similar to the ones that the guards outside wore.

"Alright, everything checks out. You and your... Pokémon... are free to go." He grimaced, pausing before he spoke the word 'Pokémon', as if at unease even speaking the word. Wren smiled and stood;

"Thankyou. We'll be heading out shortly." The man nodded in relief at the thought of being rid of Wren and her Pokémon, before turning and heading back outside. Alexis grimaced, shaking her head.

"Our father. You'll have to forgive him. He's a bit overprotective." Wren snorted softly, biting back laughter;

"It's fine. Well, anyway, are you two coming with me to catch some guard Pokemon?" Carson leapt to his feet, grinning;

"Fuck yeah!" His sister scowled, smacking him across the back of the head;

"Language, you!" Wren bit back another wave of laughter.

"Alright, then, let's go. If I'm giving the two of you your own Pokémon, you'd best choose them yourself." She called Jaime back to his ball and turned to head out of the Center. Carson and Alexis shared a curious glance before running to catch up to the form of Wren, already part-way out the door...

 _To be Continued..._

 _ **Author's Note: Bleh, Dialogue. Hopefully you guys can distinguish between who's speaking. If not, let me know and I'll try to fix it for future chapters. Anyway, happy reading~**_


	6. Chapter 6

"H-hey! Wait for us!" Wren glanced back over her shoulder, smiling, as Carson and Alexis rounded the bend in the road, the former if which calling out as the siblings raced to catch up. Wren had breezed out of the Cherrygrove Pokémon Center; past the guards stationed outside, and back out the gates through which she'd entered; leaving the gatekeepers flabbergasted and leaving Carson and Alexis to explain just what was going on. Judging by the shouting that had sounded from behind her, the Joy's father hadn't been pleased at his children leaving the city walls. Overprotective indeed. Wren snorted back a laugh at the thought; remembering how Jared had reacted to her leaving. Her smile froze and a twang of regret shot through her at the thought. She hissed softly and wiped at her eyes to get rid of the tears in her eyes before turning to face the pair of slowly gaining forms.

"Hey, what took you guys so long?" Carson scowled;

"We had to talk our way through the gate and you didn't wait for us!" The pink haired boy's expression was one of frustration. By contrast, his sister's expression was more measured. Alexis studied Wren's expression with a hint of worry in her own, though much to Wren's relief she said nothing. In the meantime, Carson had perked back up, clearly excited by Wren's words back at the Pokemon Center; "So did you really mean it? You're going to catch a Pokémon for Alexis and me?" Wren, grateful for the distraction, smiled, turning to the boy;

"Sure I will. Like I said, I can't stick around here forever, so someone needs to look after Cherrygrove." She grinned, throwing the boy a teasing wink with a look of mock-innocence on her face. "I mean, if you can't handle it I'm sure I can find someone _else_ to give Pokémon to..." Carson either didn't hear or pretended not to hear Wren's second statement; instead pumping his fist in the air with a jubilant cry, running ahead with Jaime- who had taken a liking to the boy- leaping around his heels with cries of 'Vul! Pix!'

"C'mon, Jaime! I'm gonna catch a Gyarados! Oh! Or a Chesnought! Oh! Oh! Or a Charizard! Or... or a Steelix! Or a..." The boy's voice trailed off as he and Jaime rounded the bend to head further into the forest, still listing off all of the different Pokémon he was going to catch. Wren huffed a laugh, a wry grin on her face, shaking her head slightly at the boy's enthusiasm. Turning to face Alexis, however, Wren paused. The other girl was still studying her; the same expression of worry on her face.

"Are you... are you okay? You looked like you'd been..." She shook her head, trailing off with a slight blush of pink on her cheeks. She paused for a moment, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot with her gaze lowered. Finally, taking a slight, steadying breath, Alexis glanced up at Wren from beneath her fringe. Her voice wavered slightly, coming out as barely more than a whisper as she fell into step beside Wren; the pair starting to walk yet again so that they didn't fall too far behind Carson. "I, uhm... I've been thinking and... when you leave Cherrygrove... can I go with you?" Wren almost tripped as she stumbled from shock. She might have expected the question from Carson, but not from Alexis. She didn't reply, unable to find her voice. "I... i understand if you say no, but... Carson can handle the system here. It's pretty self-sufficient once it's up and running. And you'll need someone who knows how to work the computer system in the Centers..." As they walked, Alexis' gaze was fixed on the ground ahead of them. Now, however, she glanced across at Wren, her cheeks turning pink once more. "And I... I'm sure you could use some company." Wren hesitated. She had planned on finding someone to travel with, though she hadn't expected to find someone so quickly. And certainly not someone so- She froze. From up ahead on the path, there came a loud shriek. Carson. Alexis and Wren both broke into a sprint without hesitation and without another word; racing down the path in the direction of the cry.

A little way down the path, Alexis and Wren caught up to Carson, who was laying on his stomach; the boy's entire form shaking. Alexis swore, racing over to her brother's side as Wren pulled to a halt, feeling sick to her stomach. Was he hurt? Did something happen? She began to look around warily for any signs of danger, one hand resting on Ebony's Pokèball on her belt. If something had hurt Carson, it couldn't be far away. And for that matter, where was Jaime? 'Vulpix!' Wren's head snapped back in the direction of Jaime's cry at the same time as Alexis rolled Carson onto his back. As the boy rolled over, the girls saw that far from being hurt, Carson was shaking with laughter. Curled up against his stomach was a small, red-furred, multi-tailed Pokémon- Jaime- and a pokèball. The boy and Vulpix leaped to their feet triumphantly.

"We did it!" 'Vul! Vulpix Vul!' Wren and Alexis both let out a sigh of relief, before muffling laughs at the combined celebrations of Carson and Jaime. Carson danced from foot to foot like an overly excited Buneary while Jaime bounced circles around the boy's feet in delight, yapping happily. "We caught a Pokémon, see!" He held out the pokèball proudly and Wren huffed yet another laugh, momentarily picturing the boy as a child presenting his mother with a picture on the first day of pre-school. Once Carson had calmed down, Wren and Alexis could see a Mankey nestled inside. Alexis ruffled her brother's hair affectionately.

"That's great, squirt. Remember to keep it in its ball until we get it back to Cherrygrove and purified though, hmm?" Carson scowled, pushing Alexis' hand away.

"I know that! I'm not a kid anymore." Despite his expression, he grinned. "And it's not an 'it', it's a he. I'm gonna name him... Troy." He held the ball up in front of him and spoke to the Mankey within; "Just you wait, Troy. We're gonna be the best team ever." Alexis watched Carson with his new catch, a smile on her face, her expression a mixture of sadness and pride. Wren couldn't help but mirror her expression. She could only imagine how excited Carson would have been getting his first Pokémon back before the plague had hit; taking on the Gyms and the League. As Alexis had said; it was a shame that Carson hadn't been born into a more accommodating time. Wren smiled;

"Alright, hot-shot, you've got yours, now how about we get one for big sis', h'uh?" Carson nodded, still excited, likely wanting to see more Pokémon, and Wren bit back a laugh, turning to look at Alexis. "So how about it, 'Lex? What type of Pokemon should we get you?" Alexis hesitated for a second at Wren's abbreviation of her name, thinking for a moment before shrugging;

"I'm not too fussy. I've always liked water Pokémon... or... at least the thought of them." She paused before smiling weakly. "Just no bug Pokémon or Rattatta." Wren smirked and Carson gave Alexis a shove, laughing;

"Weak!" He scratched at his nose before perking up once more; "Oh! There's a creek not far from here. We should be able to find some water Pokémon there!" He turned and motioned for the girls to follow him. The trio made their way further into the forest; further away from Cherrygrove. A few moments of walking later, the three emerged from the treeline and into a small clearing. True to Carson's word, a small creek, no more than a few feet wide, ran through the clearing. At the water's edge sat a small, blue snake-like pokemon. Its belly and nose were white, and a pair of small, featherless wings sprouted from where its ears would have been if it had any. A Dratini. Carson gasped, his eyes wide, and though Alexis remained silent, her face held a similar expression. Wren smiled, passing the other girl an empty pokèball and making a sweeping gesture with her arm, motioning Alexis forward.

"Jaime. You listen to 'Lex now, hmm? Help her catch a Pokémon." The Vulpix gave a cry of 'Pix!', followed by a determined growl, and Alexis smiled. Jaime's confidence was infectious. At Jaime's cry, however, the little Dratini at the water's edge lifted its head in alarm, looking around the area for the source of the sound. Alexis hesitated, before stepping out of the bushes, her voice wavering slightly;

"A-alright, Jaime, use Ember!" A blast of burning coals shot out of the underbrush, slamming into the Dratini, who recoiled in pain. A moment later Jaime leaped from the bushes as well, standing beside Alexis. Watching from the bushes, Wren smiled, though despite herself, she kept a hand close to Ebony's ball in case the need should arise. The Dratine shot forward, faster than Wren thought it should be able to move, crashing into Jaime's flank in a furious tackle. Alexis took a half-step back. "U-uhm, use... use Ember again." Jaime shot another stream of embers towards the Dratini, but the dragon slipped away, and thd attack went wide. Alexis chewed her bottom lip, unsure of herself. "I-it's too quick. I can't..." She took another step backwards, or would have, had Wren not stepped out of the brush behind her. Wren smiled slightly, calling Ebony from her ball; the Mightyena appearing seated beside her.

"Hey. Take it easy. Ebony and I are here to help if you need us. Stop panicking." Lex looked at Wren, then down at Ebony and Jaime; both pokemon giving her a cry of encouragement. She nodded, her face set in determination once more;

"Alright, Jaime. Let's fight speed with speed. Quick Attack!" The Vulpix gave a bark, before dashing at the Dratini, his feet moving almost too fast to see. Before the Dratini could react, the red-furred Pokemon slammed into its side, and it slumped to the ground under the weight of the attack, only just able to get upright once more. Alexis nodded, holding the empty pokèball in her hand and tossing it at the Dratini; the orb colliding with the Pokémon's head and pulling it inside in a flash of crimson light. The ball snapped shut and wobbled once, twice... The center of the pokèball changed from red to white with an audible click. Before Wren or Alexis could react, Carson burst from the bushes, as excited as ever;

"Alright Alexis! Woohoo!" He grinned, racing over to the pokèball and scooping it up; studying the Pokémon within. "Wow, a Dratini. I didn't think they were supposed to live around here. You sure lucked out. What are you gonna name her?" Alexis paused at the last question; looking over at Wren, then down to the pokèball containing her new Pokémon as Carson handed it to her, a faint smile on her lips.

"Faith..."

 _To be Continued..._


	7. Chapter 7

_An ear-piercing scream filled the air. It hurt. Blood on her fingers as she pulled her hands back from her ears. Wings buffeted her from every side; wings of red, blue and yellow. She was falling. The three birds followed her; talons snatching; beaks clacking. Pain. Blood from her side, from her head. Dripping down her face into her eyes, into her mouth. She could taste blood in her mouth. Some of it was hers. She screamed; her cry echoed in trinity. Talons clenched around her leg; tightening. She felt the bones in her leg shatter; shards of bone spearing through her skin in a fountain of ichor. A flash of white agony seared through her mind as a trio of triumphant screeches fill the air. Falling again. She couldn't stop. The ground was close. Has it always been that big? She couldn't remember. Hadn't landed in weeks, maybe months. Too dangerous. Too close. Too-_

Alexis sat up with a gasp coated in a cold sweat; a lump in her throat like she had just watched a loved one die. The dreams had started again. She hadn't had them in years, and... She looked around the room in confusion. This wasn't her room. She took a steadying, shuddering breath, taking in her surroundings. The Pokémon center. They had rolled out some sleeping bags and set up camp in the old center to make sure that the new Pokémon; Faith and Troy; had time to purify. They had made it back into town a little before sunset, and hooked the two Pokémon up to the system immediately. The Mankey was an excitable thing; perfectly suited to Carson. The pair had almost wrecked the computer system the first time Carson had let him out. As for Faith, the little Dratini was much more timid; taking a while to warm up to Alexis before curling around her neck and shoulders; apparently deciding that the girl wasn't going to hurt her. Alexis sighed softly, laying back in her sleeping bag, gazing up at the roof, lost in thought. She still wasn't sure what she'd gotten herself into. Asking to go with Wren had been a spur of the moment request, and she still wasn't one hundred percent sure if she should follow through. There was something about Wren. Something that made Alexis want to follow her. She just didn't know what. There weren't many others around her age in Cherrygrove, so maybe that was it. Maybe it was just the allure of having a friend her own age. She grimaced slightly, shaking her head. She wasn't fooling anyone, least of all herself. There was more to it than that. She huffed a sigh, blowing a stray strand of pink hair out of her face. _Arceus, what have I gotten myself into..._

* * *

Wren was awake early the next morning packing; gathering her things together into her bag. She kept her movements as minimal as possible; trying not to wake Carson and Alexis. She would be gone before either of them woke up if she could help it. She'd given them a chance to make a better life for themselves by giving them Pokémon, but it wasn't fair to take them with her. She felt a pang of regret shoot through her, glancing over at the other beds where the siblings slept, remembering Alexis' request. Wren would have loved to take the girl with her, but she couldn't bear the thought of putting her in harm's way. She could find someone else to help her with the Pokémon Center systems. It didn't have to be Alexis. She squeezed her eyes shut, hissing a sigh, trying to convince herself of the fact.

"You're not planning on leaving without me, are you?" Wren's eyes shot open, looking up to the doorway to see Alexis standing over her, smiling slightly. An already packed bag was slung over her shoulder, and from inside the bag, Wren could hear a soft trilling; the sound of a Dratini snoring. Wren hesitated, pulling herself to her feet, running a hand through her hair, facing Alexis.

"I, uh... I was going to... I didn't want to put you in harm's way, and... it's not going to be safe on the road..." Alexis' smile didn't fade, she simply leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed.

"I appreciate you worrying about me, Wren. But I'm not your responsibility. I can look after myself." Wren bit back a laugh, studying Alexis curiously. Something had changed about the girl. Maybe it was the fact that she had her own Pokémon that had brought out the confidence in the girl; the fact that she could protect herself. Or maybe it was an act. Wren chewed her bottom lip for a moment thoughtfully, her gaze locked on Alexis. The pink-haired girl looked like she hadn't slept well the previous night. Dark bags hung under her eyes like the rings around a Zigzagoon's. The longer Alexis held the smile, the more it looked fake; like the girl was putting on a show. Wren sighed slightly;

"Are you sure? I'm heading to Violet City next." Alexis' smile dropped for a moment, a flash of horror passing over her face at the thought. Wren didn't blame her for her reaction. Violet city wasn't exactly the most pleasant place to visit. Far from it, in fact. When the plague had hit, Faulkner- the Violet City gym leader- had vanished. Some said that he had gone to find the source of the plague, while others had said the he had simply fled the city; unable to live without his position as gym leader. Whatever the case, Faulkner had never returned to Violet City. Every few years, there were rumours that he had resurfaced, though in the end, they amounted to nothing. In his absence, Violet City had collapsed economically. The city was now a safe haven for criminals, essentially embroiled in a constant gang war between the numerous factions of the City. The most dangerous of the factions was simply called 'Rocket.' While the group had nothing to do with the original Team Rocket, the leader of the group had styled himself after their leader; Giovanni. Or, at least, the way Giovanni had been in the early days. Rumour had it that in the last days of Team Rocket the group had poured all of its resources into finding a cure for the plague, but to no avail. Sadly, the self-proclaimed leader of Rocket had no such conscience. Unfortunately, the only road to the rest of Johto ran through the city, so there was no alternative. Wren smiled slightly, watching the conflict in Alexis' face. "If you don't want to come, I understand." Alexis shook her head slightly, setting her expression determinedly.

"No. I... I said I'd go. I won't back out now..." Wren smiled, nodding.

"And what about Carson?" A twinge of sorrow passed over Alexis' face, but she managed a smile.

"He doesn't need me. He's old enough to make his own decisions now... and besides I don't think I'll be able to contain him now that he has Troy..." Wren snorted a laugh, glancing over to where the boy slept, nodding in agreement.

"Alright. Let's go."

* * *

The path into Violet city was overgrown with weeds and grass, with only a few sparce spaces where the concrete was still visible; the spaces where the grass had been trampled by passing Pokémon. The crumbling ruins of the Sprout tower loomed ominously overhead; circled by half a dozen Murkrow; making the scene seem like something out of a horror movie. Worse still, the gates to the city had been knocked down only for the entrance to be hastily blockaded with an assortment of tables and wrecked cars., The sign at the entrance to town, which once had read 'Welcome to Violet City; The City of Nostalgic Scents,' had been painted over. Replacing the words, scrawled in what Wren hoped was red paint, was the words 'Fuck Off.' Beneath the words, someone had drawn a large red 'R' in a black circle. The sign of Rocket. Wren glanced over at Alexis, who had turned pale.

"Quite the welcome, h'uh?" Alexis jerked, startled, clutching at Faith's Pokèball on her belt for half a second before she registered the words. The pink-haired girl nodded sheepishly, and Wren smiled slightly, tugging her pack up onto her shoulder tighter. "Come on. The sooner we get moving, the sooner we can get past Violet City." It was too late to turn back to Cherrygrove now, anyway. While the trip had been relatively uneventful on the path from Cherrygrove to Violet City- apart from a small tussle with a family of Paras and Parasect that the pair had stumbled across, literally- it would be dark by the time they got back, and Wren didn't want to tussle with the pack of Poochyena at night. She steadied herself before climbing over the barticade, followed shortly afterwards by Alexis. The pair made it to the center of town unimpeded. It was almost too easy.

"Well hey there, pretty girlies." The pair froze as the voice rang out through the town center; a drawling whine that accentuated its words on the wrong vowels; turning the word 'there' into 'th-ruh'. Wren hissed, turning and ducking into the nearest alleyway, diving in the opposite direction of the voice. But when she turned...

"Fuck." Alexis had frozen in fear; standing as still as a statue in the center of the road. A moment passed, seeming like an eternity to Wren, before a small group of men, three in total, strode into view. The first man was clearly the leader of the trio; sporting a jet black mulleg and a pencil-thin moustache thag made him look like a budgeg porn-star.

"Now, then. What's a pretty girly like you doin' all alone out here?" He spoke, and Wren grimaced. That voice again. Thag grating whine. The other pair of men walked circles around Alexis, like Sharpedo circling a wounded swimmer. The pair were almost identical; both wire thin with the same hook shaped nose and squinting eyes. All three wore a red 'R' patch on the back of their jackets. Rocket. Wren swore once more. "Such a pretty li'l thing. Why don'tcha come back to th'tower an' we'll... take care of you, hmm?" The leader reached out as he spoke, cupping Alexis' chin in the palm of his hand as the girl stood paralyzed by fear, and the fear Wren had felt beforereplacing itself with another emotion. Searing rage.

" _Don't_ you _fucking_ touch her." Wren stepped out of the alleyway, and all three if the men grinned. They'd been baiting her, trying to draw her out. But at this point, Wren didn't care.

"Ah, there you are. My frien's an' I were just gonna head back to our place wit' your friend here an' have a li'l fun..." Wren grit her teeth against the constant, incessant whine of his voice, forcing a derisive smile onto her face.

"Why? You can't find a girl the usual way? Have you scared them off too, or are you just... inadequate?" She smirked, dropping her gaze to his crotch to make sure her point was well made, before motioning up at the tower. "I mean... you've gotta be overcompensating for something, right?" The brothers snickered at her remarks, causing their leader to shoot them a glare, shutting them both up, before snarling at her.

"You've got a clever tongue, bitch. What say you put it t' better use?" As he spoke, he released Alexis and advanced on Wren, grabbing her by the front of her shirt; his breath causing her to gag for a moment before she spat on the ground next to them, sneering;

"You'd have to find it first." The man snarled, and in a movement too quick to see, brought his hand up; whipping it across Wren's cheek and sending her thudding to thd ground with blood in her mouth. She spat; blood spattering onto the ground in front of her, looking for Alexis as her vision cleared. She froze. He was holding her again; this time his hand wrapped around her throat though his eyes were locked ontk Wren with murderous intent.

"Or are you already puttin' it t' good use, hmm? Is that why you're so fucking protective of th' bitch over here?" The twins snickeref once more. "Maybe I should show 'er how a _real_ man treats 'is girls, hmm?" He leaned in close to Alexis, as if leaning in fir a kiss, and Wren hissed, reaching for her belt.

"Let _go_ of her!" She snatched Jaime's pokèball from her belt as she screamed the words in fury, flinging it out in front of her; releasing the Vulpix onto the ground; the little Pokémon snarling, sharing his trainer's rage as it glared up at the man holding Alexis. He paused...

He smiled...

"Cute. Fine, if that's how you wan' it." He snatched something from his belt and tossed it onto the street. There was a flash of light, and a towering figure consisting entirely of stone sat in the street. Serpentine in shape, it roared in a mingling of fury and pain before it bore down on Jaime as Wren watched on in horror. She could only manage a single word in response; the word drowned out by the Onix's cry.

"Fuck..."

 _To be Continued..._

 ** _Author's Note: *le gasp~!* The cliffhangers are real, guys! Anyway, sorry for the break between pages. I'm going to try to set up a steady workrate of 1-2 chapters a week, but between work and being off sick for more days than not over the last week or two, I haven't been able to write much. Well, that and I was trying to figure out how to write this chapter, as there are some parts I've been toying with for a while; deciding how to go about writing some parts and how much information to spill this early._**

 ** _Though I did have *way* too much fun writing Alexis and the Rocket gang member's dialogue in the last section. :p_**

 ** _Anyways, as always, feedback is appreciated and happy reading~!_**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note: O-kay. Sorry for the long (and I do mean long) wait between chapters. I've had a few real life issues to work through, as well as a heinous case of writer's block. But I'm back with a new laptop (instead of posting everything from my phone) so I should be able to post more consistently, and cut back on those pesky spelling errors that keep slipping through the cracks. Everything should be back on track now, though, so here we go, and happy reading~**_

"Fuck..." The single word escaped Wren's lips as the towering form of the Onix loomed over her and Jaime; the little vulpix yelping in pain as the rock Pokemon; so many times larger than him, crashed into him. Wren felt bile rising in her stomach as she heard a crunch in the collision, hearing Jaime's cry of pain as the weight of the serpentine Pokemon smashed into him. Much smaller than the Onix, Jaime barely made it out of the way of his towering opponent, managing to slip out of the way before being crushed entirely; though even from her position, Wren could hear the snapping of fragile ribs meeting solid rock. Wren wasn't the only one to hear it. Across the road, the man's hand still closed around her throat, Alexis' eyes went wide in shock, and she crumpled in his grip, spilling the contents of her stomach onto the ground in a single, violent heave. The leader of the trio released his grip, an almost satisfied grin on his face; leaving Wren fighting the urge to smack that smug grin right off his face. He kicked out at Alexis, the dull thud of his boot connecting with her stomach echoing the feeling of Wren's heart hitting the pit of her stomach as he stepped back, arms outstretched, like a showman putting on a display.

"You think you c'n walk into Viol't City- _my city_ \- and jus', what? Leave wit'out payin' your respec's?" The pair behind him chuckled, a high pitched, nasal cackled that sent shivers down her spine. And from behind her, she heard the sound echoed. The sound of dozens more laughing. She glanced behind her, over her shoulder, and her heart dropped once more, lower than before. They'd backed her against the tower. The crumbling ruins of the Bellsprout Tower loomed over her from behind, the cold stone of its walls against her back. From the jagged windows of the tower, she could see figures of men, maybe two dozen in total. Each wore the red patch of Rocket. She was surrounded. _They_ were surrounded. She glanced back over to where Alexis sat crumpled on the ground at the feet of their captors, and at Jaime- poor, brave Jaime- who was struggling to his feet as the Onix circled around him. "This is _my_ city!" The man continued in his slow, nasal drawl, raising his voice for all to hear, and from behind her, she could hear the murmured agreement of his lackeys. "E'ryt'ing in these walls b'longs t' Giovanni. An' th't includes you an' yer bitch." As he spoke, he leaned down, gripping Alexis by the hair and roughly pulling her to her feet, holding the girl upright by the grip. He leered at her, his other hand lowering to cup his crotch, rubbing it lewdly as he leaned in, his face mere inches from the pink haired Joy's face, and licked her; his tongue curling out in a long, slow motion; leaving a trail of his saliva up her cheek. Wren could only watch in impotent rage, her fists balled against her sides. There was nothing she could do. Jaime was hurt badly, and Ebony's leg was still in a splint. The only healthy Pokemon she had was Faith, and the Dratini was in its ball at Alexis' waist. And even if she could reach, the Dratini had never been in a battle, so there was no guarantee that she'd be able to do anything. All she could do was wait, and listen, and hope for an opening as this man, Giovanni, spoke. "Now, we've 'ad our fun, girly. But I'm afraid 't's time ta call it a night. But I want you ta look at 'er." He tugged forcefully at Alexis' hair, bringing a pained whimper from the girl's lips as he leered. "An' I want this ta be th' last thing you see. 'cause I want you ta know that I'm gonna take _very_ good care o' her..." He laughed, and the sound sent a shiver of terror down Wren's spine at the sound, and the words. "Kill 'em!" The last words were directed at the Onix, and the beast roared once more, turning its head to glare down at the much smaller forms of Wren and Jaime, who had managed to pull himself to his feet, and had imposed himself between the Onix and his trainer, growling weakly.

"N-no..." Wren's eyes burned with tears of frustration and terror, but through her blurred vision, she saw Alexis struggle weakly against his grip, struggling to form words. "W-Wren, run... please... Don't worr-" Her words were cut off in a fit of coughing, gasping for air as Giovanni slammed his fist into her gut; driving the air from her lungs and making it impossible for her to speak. But still, her eyes locked onto Wren, mouthing the word 'run'. Wren, for her part, bit back a sob as she saw Alexis' treatment and heard her words. Even if she wanted to run, though, there was nowhere for her to go. The tower was at her back, and she was surrounded. Nowhere to go.

End of the line.

The Onix roared once more; its cry yet again that same mingling of agony and anger, and bore down on her, closing the gap between them in seconds; time enough for Wren to pull Jaime into her arms and hold the little Vulpix tight, as if her fragile grasp would protect him. Her eyes locked on Alexis and, in the split second before the crashing weight of the Onix hit, mouthed the words 'I'm sorry.' If Alexis saw, it was no consolation to Wren, as the moment those words escaped her lips, the Onix hit, crushing her against the wall behind her, muffling the sound of screaming, though in the oncoming darkness, Wren couldn't be sure if it was her own, or that of Alexis...

Rocks fall. Darkness comes...

* * *

 _Cold. Dark. Wet._

 _The taste of blood. Her own._

 _Maybe._

 _Yelling, cursing. Coming from outside._

 _A man's voice. Angry._

 _A woman screaming. Terrified._

 _Familiar. Alexis?_

 _Darkness. Silence. Cold again..._

* * *

 _"Lex!"_ Wren's eyes shot open, sitting upright in a single, jerking motion, though the shivers of agony that shot through her entire form made her wish that she hadn't. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust in the darkness. The only light that illuminated her surrounds were a few slivers of light that filtered through the rocks that filled most of the small chamber where she had come to rest. It was quiet. Like a tomb. The thought was of no comfort. Maybe it _was_ a tomb. Maybe she was dead, or... She shook her head, forcing herself to think. To remember. The Onix had come crashing down on her, driving her back against the tower wall. _Through_ the tower wall. She looked around once more, and then up. A gaping hole had been broken through the roof, or... floor, above her. A similar hole had been broken through the wall a level above her, and then re-filled with fallen rocks. The Onix had punched a hole through the tower wall itself; knocking her to what appeared to be the basement levels of the tower. She started to stand, and immediately stumbled, her right leg buckling beneath her. Putting her arm out to catch herself sent another searing wave of agony shooting through her body as the chosen arm likewise buckled, and Wren's head clashed with the stone floor of the tower's basement; sending her head swimming, and bringing the taste of blood to her mouth once more. "Owwwww... fucking... oww..." The girl struggled back to a sitting position, where she could take stock of her injuries. Aside from a multitude of cuts and scratches, and a mild concussion, her right leg was fractured, and she guessed her arm was dislocated. She was fucked.

Grimacing, she gripped her arm, just below the shoulder, and mentally psyched herself up, squeezing her eyes shut, readying herself to pop the limb back into its socket. "1... 2... 3." The arm popped back into the socket with an audible pop, and an agonised scream tore itself from her lips; piercing; breaking the silence of the basement; her scream breaking against the stark stone walls like waves on the beach. Darkness swam before her eyes once more, and it took all of her willpower not to lapse back into unconsciousness. In the ebbing echoes of the scream, another sound took its place. A soft snuffling sound; weak; that of a wounded animal, followed by a soft cry. "P-pix..." A small, bloodied form shuffled from the shadows, its red fur matted with blood, limping heavily on wounded ribs. Jaime. Wren winced slightly at the sight of her Pokemon, reaching down and scooping the brave, battered Vulpix into her arms as the Pokemon curled up in her arms once more. Wren forced a smile. "You're a mess, Jaime." The little Vulpix lifted its head and gave a slight, dignified huff, as if to say 'And what about you, human?' Afterwards, however, Jaime lifted its head, giving Wren's chin a slight, comforting lick. Wren huffed a laugh; tinged with sadness, turning her head to gaze up at the hole in the wall through which she'd fallen, speaking words that would never be heard by the one they were intended for. "I'm coming, 'Lex... Hold on..."

 _ **Author's Note 2: Alright, guys, there we go. Bear with me for a few chapters as I get back into things, but I'm trying to work out some pacing issues as pointed out to me in some reviews. Hopefully I'll be able to keep to a steady once-a-week posting rate from here on out, and I'll hopefully be able to stick around to see this out to its conclusion. As always, reviews, favourites and follows are appreciated, and I'll listen to any constructive criticism as long as I think it'll help the fic' moving forward.**_


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